Hydraulic cylinder with end closure assembly

Abstract

A hydraulic cylinder having a gland nut that is welded to the cylinder barrel and a split ring spring retainer removably inserted into the gland retainer to hold the rod gland in place.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. In a hydraulic cylinder having a cylindrical barrel with a closed end and an open end, said barrel having an interior bore uniform throughout the length thereof between said closed end and closely adjacent to said open end, a piston slidably disposed within said barrel, a rod gland disposed within and closing said open end of said barrel and having a small central passageway spaced from said barrel and aligned with a longitudinal axis of said barrel, an elongated piston rod spaced from said barrel and slidably disposed in said passageway and having one end attached to said piston and an exposed end external of said barrel, said rod gland carrying sealing means exposed in said small passageway and engaged with said piston rod against leakage for sealing therebetween, said rod gland carrying other sealing means exposed to and engaged with said barrel for scaling against leakage therebetween, said rod gland forming a directly engaged stop for said piston when said piston rod is fully extended, the improvement comprising a rod gland retainer assemble including a gland retainer welded outwardly of and to said barrel in the absence of any screw thread connection therebetween, said gland retainer having an internal circumferential ledge, and said assembly further including a split ring spring retainer removably inserted between said ledge and said rod gland for bearing against said rod gland and solely holding said rod gland in place. 
     
     
       2. The hydraulic cylinder of claim 1 wherein said rod gland fits closely inside one end of said cylinder barrel and sealed thereto with an O-ring seal in a seal groove positioned circumferentially around the outside of said gland, said one end of said cylinder barrel having a tapered portion to provide facility in inserting said rod gland and O-ring seal therein. 
     
     
       3. The hydraulic cylinder of claim 2 wherein said tapered portion has an inside surface which begins from a smaller diameter adjacent said O-ring to a larger diameter at said one end of said cylinder barrel. 
     
     
       4. The hydraulic cylinder of claim 3 wherein said taper is about 1°-30°. 
     
     
       5. The hydraulic cylinder of claim 1 wherein said rod gland includes an outwardly extending flange along its outer extremity fitting into a rabbet groove in an edge of said cylinder barrel and said split ring spring retainer bearing against both said cylinder barrel and said rod gland. 
     
     
       6. In a hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder barrel with a closed end and an open end, said barrel having an interior bore substantially uniform throughout the length thereof between said closed and to closely adjacent said open end, a piston, a piston rod, a rod gland, the improvement, which comprised a rod gland retainer assembly including a gland retainer welded outwardly of and to said cylinder barrel in the absence of any screw thread connection therebetween, said gland retainer having an internal circumferential ledge, and said assembly further including a split ring spring retainer removably inserted between said ledge and said rod gland for bearing against said rod gland and solely holding said rod gland in place, said rod gland including an outwardly extending flange along its outer extremity fitting into a rabbet groove in an inner edge of said cylinder barrel. 
     
     
       7. In a hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder barrel, a piston, a piston rod, a rod gland, the improvement which comprises a rod gland retainer assembly including a gland retainer welded outwardly of and to said cylinder barrel in the absence of any screw thread connection therebetween, said gland retainer having an internal circumferential ledge, and said assembly further including a split ring spring retainer removably inserted between said ledge and said rod gland so as to bear against said rod gland to hold it in place, said gland retainer including an inwardly extending circumferential tongue which forms a seat for said cylinder barrel and also forms in combination with said ledge a groove for seating said split ring spring retainer. 
     
     
       8. In a hydraulic cylinder having a cylindrical barrel with a closed end and an open, a piston slidably disposed within said barrel, a rod gland disposed within and closing said open end of said barrel and having a small central passageway spaced from said barrel and aligned with a longitudinal axis of said barrel, an elongated piston rod spaced from said barrel and slidably disposed in said passageway and having one end attached to said piston and an exposed end external of said barrel, said rod gland carrying sealing means exposed in said small passageway and engaged with said piston rod against leakage for sealing therebetween, said rod gland forming a stop for said piston when said piston rod is fully extended, the improvement comprising a rod gland retainer assembly including a gland retainer welded outwardly of and to said barrel in the absence of any screw thread connection therebetween, said gland retainer having an internal circumferential ledge, and said assembly further including a split ring spring retainer removably inserted between said ledge and said rod gland for bearing against said rod gland and solely holding said rod gland in place, said ledge being tapered adjacent said split ring to provide facility in inserting and removing said split ring spring retainer. 
     
     
       9. The hydraulic cylinder of claim 8 wherein said ledge is formed by a groove with an open portion facing said piston rod and a bottom farther away from said rod than said opening, the taper of said groove being such that said opening is wider than said bottom when measured lengthwise of said cylinder barrel. 
     
     
       10. The hydraulic cylinder of claim 9 wherein said taper is about 1°-5°. 
     
     
       11. In a hydraulic cylinder having a cylindrical barrel with a closed end and an open end, a piston slidably disposed within said barrel, a rod gland disposed within and closing said open end of said barrel and having a small central passageway spaced from said barrel and aligned with a longitudinal axis of said barrel, an elongated piston rod spaced from said barrel and slidably disposed in said passageway and having one end attached to said piston and an exposed end external of said barrel, said rod gland carrying other sealing means exposed to and engaged with said barrel for sealing against leakage therebetween, said rod gland forming a stop for said piston when said piston rod is fully extended, the improvement comprising a rod gland retainer assembly including a gland retainer welded outwardly of and to said barrel in the absence of any screw thread connection therebetween, said gland retainer having an internal circumferential ledge, and said assembly further including a split ring spring retainer removably inserted between said ledge and said rod gland for bearing against said rod gland and solely holding said rod gland in place, said gland retainer including an inwardly extending circumferential tongue which forms a seat for said cylinder barrel and also forms in combination with said ledge a groove for seating said split ring spring retainer.